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Iowa vs. South Carolina NCAA women’s basketball Final Four box score, highlights, live updates recap
Hawkeyes stun undefeated Gamecocks in Dallas
DALLAS — They were facing a massive size advantage, but the Iowa Hawkeyes sure didn’t shrink from the moment.
Caitlin Clark scored 41 points, and third-ranked Iowa stunned No. 1 South Carolina, 77-73, in an NCAA women’s basketball national semifinal before a sellout crowd of 19,288 Friday night at American Airlines Center.
Iowa (31-6) snapped South Carolina’s 42-game winning streak, and will face No. 9 LSU (33-2) for the national championship at 2:30 Sunday afternoon (ABC).
LSU rallied past No. 4 Virginia Tech, 79-72.
The Hawkeyes answered every challenge that South Carolina (36-1) could muster. After the Gamecocks took a 60-59 lead on Aliyah Boston’s basket with 9:05 left, the Hawkeyes scored the next five points — a Clark 3-pointer, then a Clark dish to Monika Czinano — and led the rest of the way.
Clark hit 15 of 31 shots from the floor, and nailed all six of her free throws.
South Carolina got within 69-68, 71-69, 73-71 and 75-73, but the Hawkeyes held them off each time.
The Hawkeyes prevailed despite a 49-25 rebounding disadvantage and 26 offensive rebounds by the Gamecocks.
— Jeff Linder
South Carolina Gamecocks guard Brea Beal (12) reaches out to knock the ball away from Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) as she dribbles the ball down the court in the first quarter during the Final Four game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Friday, March 31, 2023. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)